The Reason Why
by softnerd
Summary: The first step of the rest of a young demigod's life. Alexander P. Robins, son of Apollo, has always had his family with him when he needed them. They are his world. What happens when your world is pulled out from under you? R
1. Chapter 1

Kailey M. Lyons

Period 8

Navy Team

September 14th, 2010

The Reasons Why

"Two weeks passed and it happened again"

Please don't hate me for what I'm about to tell you, you'll understand soon enough.

I was lucky, you could say. I lived, I survived. All that stuff that they try to force down your throat to make the reality of the situation seem better. But the real reality of the situation, I was ten. Ten years old when I had to leave my mother in our creaky old house in Tennessee, ironically, when I was there I hated it. My mom's boyfriends and never-ending list husbands- and ex-husbands- who ignored me, my brat twin sister who I now miss more than I ever thought possible, and how much I hated my dad- my biological one- for how much he didn't care, well, there's something that hasn't changed, I suppose.

Now, I'm 16 years old, and I've been living in a shiny gold cabin, undetected with all my other half-siblings- eight to be exact- at this camp on Long Island for kids like me. Well some of them are like me, like I said, people said I was lucky, to have survived what I happened, and I know who I am- Alexander Phoebus Robins- son of the irresponsible, uncaring, surfer-boy god, Apollo, god of the sun, music, prophecies, medicine and poetry. and the beautiful southern singer, Sue Robins. I'm a rare year-round camper here since, after all, who would I be going home to? I see my sister every now and then, but not as much as I'd like.

My best friend, Lux O'Malley, -who's name I always found amusing, I could've told him right of the bat with that kind of name there was no way he was all-human- has been crammed into the Hermes Cabin for just over nine years, he lives with his aunt, since his mother wasn't as "lucky" as I was.

He's one of the unclaimed demigods, one of the children of some god or goddess too absorbed in themselves to care about their children and how they feel. Since Lux was 7, he's been at camp, which- to be blunt- is just inexcusable. One or two months is enough torture, the wondering, the waiting, but nine years? No way is that right.

So that's my new life, with my new family- who I love, don't get me wrong- but still, you can't blame me hating my dad's guts.

You might have been wondering why I hate him, after all, he claimed me my first day, didn't he? Doesn't that mean he loves me? And, sure, I'd get the occasional present from my father, like all of his kids. Ha! As if the occasional bow or unlimited GB iPod will make up for his abandonment.

No, that doesn't matter, after everything that's happened, no one critiques me about my hating Apollo, not even the sun god himself! It hurts him, I know, and I

won't deny that slight guilty-nausea that builds in me after I give him the "cold shoulder."...but that doesn't change anything.

But, you may ask, what was so bad that caused me to hate him so much? Let me tell you the dramatic sob story that is my life...

**_ ~6 YEARS EARLIER~_**

A young woman busied herself around a victorian-style home, picking up anything that looked out of place, and hurrying along, popping in and out of rooms until she finally fell back onto a velvet couch, her brown hair spreading out across a pillow. This woman is, Sue Robins, she sighed with contentment and closed her eyes, inhaling the quiet. Until she heard her front door burst open, she let out a gush of air, Nice while it lasted. She thought.

"Momma! Alex hit me!" She heard her daughter yelp, she smiled comfortingly at her daughter, Alex's sister, Addison Robins. She then turned and glared at her son, Alex, who was now glowering accusingly at Addy.

"Alex, is that true?" Sue questioned, Alex gawked letting out a huff of air to blow his curly blonde bangs out of his eyes.

"No, Momma- Addy's lying!" Sue narrowed her eyes, and Alex gave in, the way only a mother can make her child.

"Yeah, fine, I did. But she started it!" Alex defended himself, waving his hands in the air as if to prove his point. Sue smiled inwardly, and she heard the back door swing open, it was Dan Johnson, Sue's husband.

"Susie! I'm home." Alex rolled his azure eyes. Sue glared half-heartedly at him, true she found it adorable at first when he was so protective, but when he put a raccoon in one of her boyfriend's pants when he wasn't paying attention- she still had no idea where he even got a raccoon- she'd had enough.

"Hi, Danny!" She smiled, pecking him on the lips, Addy smiled and Alex gagged, sticking his tongue out dramatically.

"Hey, Addy, Alex," Addy didn't notice and returned his greeting, but Alex simply crossed his arms. Sure when his mom was there he was all 'Oh hey, squirts, how was school?' but then suddenly he goes all 'Get out of the way, your blocking the T.V!'...Alex envied Cinderella, at least she had people who believed her step-parent was evil! Even his sister had tricked herself into obliviousness.

There was one or two things Alex didn't absolutely hate about Dan, one, since demigods historically attract a lot of attention of monsters, like ancient Greek mythological monsters. But actually, unlike most of his mother's boyfriends and so on, he stuck around after the first couple of monster attacks. Alex was always confused on whether or not he was brave enough to stay with his mother and tough out all the monster attacks, or was too stupid to not be able to piece the facts together. That it wasn't a freak animal attack at Addy and Alex's school that nearly took out the entire east wing. I mean sure, the Mist is a powerful thing, but you'd think he'd eventually piece together something or another, who's really that gullible.

Lately, though, his mother had grown even more harried and nervous. Checking under all the couches as she cleaned, sending Dan out to buy more locks for the doors every time something unexplainable or scary happens. Alex and Addy knew, despite their young age and innocence, that all of the attacks that had been happening lately weren't normal. He couldn't remember this many attacks happening to them before, was something wrong?

Later on that night, Alex was munching on some potato chips, watching Class of the Titans, on TV when he suddenly felt a nervous chill pass down his back.

"Momma?" He called, standing up and looking around.

"Yeah, honey?"

"I have that weird feeling again!" Alex heard something clatter to the floor as his mother rushed into the room, she immediately put her hands against her son's soft skin,

"Are you sure, baby?" She whispered, looking over to her daughter who was now asleep on the couch. Alex nodded, worriedly. His mother seemed quite aware of what he was talking about, and nodded.

"Upstairs, sweetie." She instructed.  
"But, Momma, I-"  
"Now, Alex!" Sue ordered, Alex nodded and scampered up the stairs. Sue walked over to her daughter, shook her and pushed her up the stairs as well.

Alex was scared, scared and worried for his family and mother. He knew he sensed another monster, he never knew why these things happened to them, all he knew was that it only happened to them. He heard some mumbling down stairs, he was shocked when he heard a clear ringing voice of a young man. Dan was already asleep in his room.

_Who could it be?_ Alex wondered. He quietly tip-toed over to the door and peeped his eye through the door. He could just make out the words they were saying.


	2. Final Copy

**_The Reasons Why _**

_ "Two weeks passed and it happened again"_

Please don't hate me for what I'm about to tell you, you'll understand soon enough.

I was lucky, you could say. I lived, I survived. All that stuff that they try to force down your throat to make the reality of the situation seem better. But the real reality of the situation, I was ten. Ten years old when I had to leave my mother in our creaky old house in Tennessee, ironically, when I was there I hated it. My mom's boyfriends and never-ending list husbands- and ex-husbands- who ignored me, my brat twin sister who I now miss more than I ever thought possible, and how much I hated my dad- my biological one- for how much he didn't care, well, there's something that hasn't changed, I suppose.

Now, I'm 16 years old, and I've been living in a shiny gold-painted cabin, undetected with all my other half-siblings- eight to be exact- at this camp on Long Island for kids like me. Well some of them are like me, like I said, people said I was lucky, to have survived what I happened, and I know who I am- Alexander Phoebus Robins- son of the irresponsible, uncaring, surfer-boy god, Apollo, god of the sun, music, prophecies, medicine and poetry. and the beautiful southern singer, Susan Robins. I'm a rare year-round camper here since, after all, who would I be going home to? True, I have my sister here, but- as much as I hate admitting it, we never really talk anymore, not like we used to.

My best friend, Lux O'Malley, -who's name I always found amusing, I could've told him right of the bat with that kind of name there was no way he was all-human- has been crammed into the Hermes Cabin for just over nine years, he lives with his aunt, since his mother wasn't as "lucky" as I was.

He's one of the unclaimed demigods, one of the children of some god or goddess too absorbed in themselves to care about their children and how they feel. Since Lux was 7, he's been at camp, which- to be blunt- is just inexcusable. One or two months is enough torture, the wondering, the waiting, but nine years? No way is that right.

So that's my new life, with my new family- who I love, don't get me wrong- but still, you can't blame me hating my dad's guts.

You might have been wondering why I hate him, after all, he claimed me my first day, didn't he? Doesn't that mean he loves me? And, sure, I'd get the occasional present from my father, like all of his kids. Ha! As if the occasional bow or unlimited GB iPod will make up for his abandonment.

No, that doesn't matter, after everything that's happened, no one critiques me about my hating Apollo, not even the sun god himself! It hurts him, I know, and I

won't deny that slight guilty-nausea that builds in me after I give him the "cold shoulder."...but that doesn't change anything.

But, you may ask, what was so bad that caused me to hate him so much? Let me tell you the dramatic sob story that is my life...

**_ ~6 YEARS EARLIER~_**

A young woman fell back onto a velvet couch, her brown hair spreading out across a pillow. This woman is, Susan Robins, she sighed with contentment and closed her eyes, inhaling the quiet of her victorian style southern home. Until she heard her front door burst open, she let out a gush of air, Nice while it lasted. She thought.

"Momma! Alex hit me!" She heard her daughter yelp, she smiled comfortingly at her daughter, Alex's sister, Addison Robins. She then turned and glared at her son, Alex, who was now glowering accusingly at Addy.

"Alex, is that true?" Susan questioned, Alex gawked letting out a huff of air to blow his curly blonde bangs out of his eyes.

"No, Momma- Addy's lying!" Sue narrowed her eyes, and Alex gave in, the way only a mother can make her child.

"Yeah, fine, I did. But she started it!" Alex defended himself, waving his hands in the air as if to prove his point. Sue smiled inwardly, and she heard the back door swing open, it was Dan Johnson, Sue's husband.

"Susie! I'm home." Alex rolled his azure eyes. Sue glared half-heartedly at him, true she found it adorable at first when he was so protective, but when he put a raccoon in one of her boyfriend's pants when he wasn't paying attention- she still had no idea where he even got a raccoon- she'd had enough.

"Hi, Danny!" She smiled, pecking him on the lips, Addy smiled and Alex gagged, sticking his tongue out dramatically.

"Hey, Addy, Alex," Addy didn't notice and returned his greeting, but Alex simply crossed his arms. Sure when his mom was there he was all 'Oh hey, squirts, how was school?' but then suddenly he goes all 'Get out of the way, your blocking the T.V!'...Alex envied Cinderella, at least she had people who believed her step-parent was evil! Even his sister had tricked herself into obliviousness.

There was one or two things Alex didn't absolutely hate about Dan, one, since demigods historically attract a lot of attention of monsters, like ancient Greek mythological monsters. But actually, unlike most of his mother's boyfriends and so on, he stuck around after the first couple of monster attacks. Alex was always confused on whether or not he was brave enough to stay with his mother and tough out all the monster attacks, or was too stupid to not be able to piece the facts together. That it wasn't a freak animal attack at Addy and Alex's school that nearly took out the entire east wing. I mean sure, the Mist is a powerful thing, but you'd think he'd eventually piece together something or another, who's really that gullible.

Lately, though, his mother had grown even more harried and nervous. Checking under all the couches as she cleaned, sending Dan out to buy more locks for the doors every time something unexplainable or scary happens. Alex and Addy knew, despite their young age and innocence, that all of the attacks that had been happening lately weren't normal. He couldn't remember this many attacks happening to them before, was something wrong?

Later on that night, Alex was munching on some potato chips, watching Class of the Titans, on TV when he suddenly felt a nervous chill pass down his back.

"Momma?" He called, standing up and looking around.

"Yeah, honey?"

"I have that weird feeling again!" Alex heard something clatter to the floor as his mother rushed into the room, she immediately put her hands against her son's soft skin,

"Are you sure, baby?" She whispered, looking over to her daughter who was now asleep on the couch. Alex nodded, worriedly. His mother seemed quite aware of what he was talking about, and nodded.

They saw a small bump grazing it's way across their dark carpeting, Susan screamed. Dan came running in, saw the bump as it made it's way out from under the rug. Alex screeched as he saw a sickly looking green..._thing._ He couldn't find a word for it, head of a man and a body of a...bird? No, more like a gargoyle with it's boney wings attached to it's back by flabby layers of skin, but with no nose, which, for a moment, reminded Alex of Voldemort from the movies. Except with a much more chilling aura. Dan fell backward as the thing attacked him, viciously clawing at his arm and legs.

Addy screamed and ran behind her brother, who spread his arms out to shield her. Dan grabbed a chair and raised it up and smashed it over the creature's head, it suddenly vanished in a cloud of golden ash. Dan wobbly stood up.  
"M-Momma, that wasn't a coyote!" Addy whimpered, Alex clutched her close to his side.

"W-What happened?" Dan groaned.  
"Nothing, Danny. You fell down and hit your head pretty badly." She murmured, Alex stared curiously at her. _How can he not remember? _

"Upstairs, sweetie." She instructed.  
"But, Momma, I-"  
"Now, Alex!" Susan ordered, Alex nodded and scampered up the stairs, his sister in tow.

Alex was scared, scared and worried for his family and mother. He knew he sensed another monster, he never knew why these things happened to them, all he knew was that it only happened to them. He heard some mumbling down stairs, he was shocked when he heard a clear ringing voice of a young man. Dan was in the hospital, with severe bite marks and 3 broken ribs.

_Who could it be?_ Alex wondered. He quietly tip-toed over to the door and peeped his eye through the door. He could just make out the words they were saying.

"Sue...you need to send them to camp," the man murmured, softly. Alex heard his mother sniff, _He's making her cry! _Alex clenched his fists.

"No...Apollo, you are _not _taking my babies away." Apollo? Who in their right mind would name their kid 'Apollo'? Then he remembered something; Apollo. The God of the Sun, he remembered having learned something about it about a month ago in class.

_Huh, never thought I'd need to know that_. Alex thought, a little amused, his sister was finally right.

"Sue..._please..._tonight, they were...you were...you all were, so, so lucky to have gotten away with nothing!" The man, Apollo, insisted.

"Exactly. They got away unharmed! There's no reason for them to go to camp, not yet!" Susan reasoned.  
"Honey-" Apollo started.  
"Don't you 'honey' me! You have no right showing up like this, you've got no say in what I do with my children's lives!" Alex got brave enough to slowly inch his head out of the door and peek downstairs.

"They're my children, too!" Apollo exclaimed, right as Alex came into view of them. The man, his father, was the spitting image of him- the same blonde hair, sky-blue eyes and tanned skin.

"No! _You _didn't raise them- I did, you...you have no say! Now get out of my house!" Susan screamed, Apollo tried to calm her, trying to soothe her with calm words.  
"Sue..." He murmured, hopelessly.  
"OUT!" She screamed, Apollo got a last look of sadness in his eyes then bowed his head and walked out the front door. Alex gawked, then finally got up the courage to stand up.  
"M-Mom?" Alex whispered, cautiously. Susan looked up, her wide brown eyes glazed with angry tears,  
"Sweetie...ya' heard all that, didn't ya'?" She whispered, her southern drawl picking up through her tears. Alex nodded, sitting down next to his mom, leaning his head against her shoulder.

"...Who was he?" He asked, tentatively. There was a long pause,

"Apollo, your dad." She whispered, miserably. Alex clenched his teeth,

"Why hasn't he been here before, you said he was really busy...but that ain't all it, is it?" He guessed, putting the pieces together.  
"Yeah, hun. That isn't all it...the greek gods, they're all real..."

She continued into the late hours telling him everything, about the camp, about his father, about what had attacked Dan, and how Apollo wanted them to go to camp so the creatures couldn't get to them. And proceeded to do the same with Addy the next morning.

Alex noticed as the days went on the house got more and more calls from his father, Apollo, which his mother hadn't even bothered to listen to. But Alex listened to one, out of curiosity and, to be honest, he kind of liked hearing his voice. But when he actually listened, it only expanded his worry. His voice had sounded smooth and calm when he'd been at their house talking to his mother, and now it was panicky and desperate. Begging and begging to send the twins to this Camp Half-Breed or whatever. _But_, Alex told himself, _Mom's always right...this has to be the best thing to do. _

**_2 WEEKS LATER _**

Alex and Addy were sitting on the bus ride home, neither of them talking to any of their friends. They'd both become quiet and tried their best to stay aware of their surroundings, making sure nothing was following them or nothing looked odd outside or inside.

Alex had grown accustomed to listening to the nervous messages Apollo left on their answering machine, but gradually they'd stopped altogether.

Addy had fallen asleep on the bus, and suddenly she jolted up, screaming

"MOMMY!", the entire bus stopped to look and laugh at her, but Alex simply glared at them and turned to his sister,

"What is it?" He asked, worriedly.

"It's mom! That thing's got her!" She was gasping for air.

"What? What thing, Addy?" Alex shook her by the shoulders, trying to jolt her out of her shock, just as the bus stopped.  
"ROBINS'S!" The bus driver, Pete, called. Addy didn't waste a minute, she left her backpack and sprinted up the aisle, pushing several 7th graders out of her way as she passed, and ran as fast as she could up the long drive way to their house, Alex followed her, his blue eyes rushing to look around as he ran after his twin. Addy burst through the front door,

"MOM!" She screamed, not missing a beat as she darted up the stairs, skipping every other step.  
Alex looked around the first level, he saw his mother's desk chair had been roughly pushed over, where she used to write all her songs. And the rug had several claw marks and tears in it. Addy called from a top the stairs.  
"S-She's not here!" Alex nodded, and continued to look around, _She could be at the grocery store, _He tried to convince himself, _Grocery store...No, No she never would've left us alone with no warning...especially now. _ Then he stumbled upon something that only proved his worries, his mother's silver bracelet now was on the dark hardwood floor, it's chain mangled and dented, in a way that only an other-worldly creature could manage. Alex whimpered and sat down on the scratched-up floor.

"Mom..." He whispered, clutching it to his chest. Addy came in as he said this, and saw the evidence.  
"No...No...No..." she murmured.  
The police arrived later that night, they filed a missing person report, but somehow they both knew the cops would never find her. Dan, apparently, had left as soon as he'd heard of her "disappearance" and as soon as he was cleared to leave from the hospital.

At the moment they were staying with some foster family, when the woman they were staying with, Lucia, came in.  
"Addy, Alex. A man's come to pick you up." Lucia told them, smiling sweetly with her thick italian accent coming through into her words.  
"Who?" Alex asked, looking at his sister, who made no indication that she was listening.  
"I do not know, the social worker only told me he is related to you." Alex nodded, understanding.

"Okay," He murmured, though he wondered who it could possibly be. His mother was an only child, and her parents didn't even know they existed.

Downstairs stood Apollo, he was wearing faded navy jeans and a black shirt and jacket. Looking him up and down, Alex thought perhaps he looked even a bit older than the last time he saw him. But, being a god and considering all that had happened, he supposed that wasn't all that unusual.  
"Alex, Addy...I'm so sorry," He murmured, kneeling down to be at their eye-level, Alex's bright blue eyes locked with his father's and saw his sincerity, as did Addy. Who knew immediately who the man was, and smiled cautiously at him, he returned it, and held out his hand. Addy took it, gladly. Alex hesitated, _Why had the calls stopped? How could he just give up? He should've helped her!_ Apollo offered his other hand to his son. Alex just scowled and walked a head to his father's car.

Later on, they were on the highway, on their way to New York.

"Kids, the safest place for you now...is at Camp Half Blood, it's a place for kids like you, demigods, see, I'm-"  
"Apollo, God of the Sun and stuff, we know." Alex grumbled, scowling out the window. Apollo sighed, "Alex...I'm sorry about your mother. I truly am, but it's a miracle you survived what happen. Such young kids getting attacked by a fury and surviving? It's...unheard of." Apollo seemed to stare off into space for a moment, and then concentrated on the road flying by in front of him.  
"The safest plan is to get you to camp," He repeated, as if trying to convince himself, "Usually, I'd just send a satyr-"  
"A what?" Addy interrupted, Apollo's lips curved in the smallest hint of a smile.  
"A goat-man thing," He chuckled, Alex rolled his eyes, "Anyway, I wanted to do this myself, since you both are so young to be going now, usually most go when they're twelve or thirteen. And-"  
"Is that why mom didn't want us to go?" Alex hissed. Apollo flinched, then exhaled deeply.  
"Yes, that's why Sue didn't want you to leave yet. But considering there's two of you instead of just one child, their was a stronger attraction from monsters." He explained. Alex remained silent, while Addy nodded, then fell silent as well.

The silence continued, the mind-numbing silence made Alexander think of all the reasonable situations where Apollo could've saved his mother; There were seven different ways, he realized. Seven ways his mother could still be here. Inexcusable, there was options and his father still did nothing. He had the power to smite the evil creature, and he didn't. He could've simply _taken_ the kids; though Alex was sure he'd hate Apollo still if he had stolen them.

There was so many ways he could've helped her, and he didn't because he wasn't _aloud to. _Since when do gods listen?

"I wish I could have." Apollo murmured, jolting Alex out of his thoughts.  
"What?" Alex asked, rather rudely.  
"I wish I could've helped Sue...but it's forbidden to tamper with Fate, even for a god." Alex bit his lip as his father went on.  
"But you...you tried to make her before! And then you quit! You gave up and now she's gone." Apollo sighed.

"Alex...I loved your mother, I really did, but...I just couldn't do anything to stop what happened. I'm so sorry." With that ended Alex's first conversation with is father.

**_ ~Present Day~_**

So, that's what happened to me. Looking back on it, I think maybe my dad did try and do what he could. But he simply couldn't get passed my mother's protectiveness over us. And then again, maybe I just felt the way I did now, the undeniable burning animosity toward him, was because I felt alone. My sister had left the camp when she was only thirteen, only three years after our mother's supposed death, to join our Aunt Artemis's hunters. I'd begged my father not to let it happen, but like everything else, he could do nothing but hate his sister as I hated mine now for leaving me alone here, and him for not fighting for me, to try and get her to stay for me. But maybe this was because he wished his father had been more attentive to him and his other siblings, had shown he loved us. But then again, maybe I should be more positive. I always focused on Apollo's bad things; his immaturity, him not being there for my childhood, for leaving my mother, for not saving her...but even some little things. He _tried _his best to save her, he always remembered our birthdays, our mothers, our full names. He even remembers the exact minute most of us were born. And he always remembered the reasons why he loves us. And we remember the reasons why we love him, eventually.

(c) Camp Half Blood- Rick Riordan.


	3. GRADE

I got an 86%! At my school that is a B+ so I'm happy, not ecstatic, but I am very, very happy! :D


End file.
